Shield



sept. 16, 1930. H. w. KULP Er AL 1,776,159

SHIELD Filed Nov. 2s. 1929 y Patented Sept. 16, 1930 UNITED STATES4 HARRY w. KULP AND MARTIN c. DELLINGER, oF LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA PATENT foFFIcE- f einem)l Application filed November 23, 1929. Serial No. 409,323.

This invention relates to shields primarily intended for use in catching the removable locking means cooperating with the lower end portions respectively of the respective' valvestems to limit the downward movement of the respective spring retainers or cups or washers in connection with the operations necessary to the grinding or replacement of poppet-valves in internal combustion engines,

particularly internal combustion engines as mounted in automobiles and as continedand obstructed by the related parts, such as the generator, distributor, carburetor, steering rod,chassis frame and other parts of the automobile.

Ot recent years it has been the practice to arrange the valve-stems, and push rods, with their cooperating parts in the interior ofthe engine block, permitting access y thereto through an opening or port normally cov. ered by removable cover plates to keep out dust and dirt. At lirst this opening was usually quite wide in a vertical direction, allowing relatively easy access, and the top of the crank-case and the adjacent portion of the cylinder vblock were such as to completely close the top of the crank-casel at all points except for the passage of the rods, and the locking means for 30 limiting the downward movement of the spring retainers or cups on the valve-stems under the thrust ot theirrespective cooperaating valve-springs, were cross-pins orother elements requiring to be gripped and .positively displaced bythe mechanic. However, as time has passed the width of the access opening or port has decreased, while the number of accessories .has increased, rendering access to the valve-stems, spring, retainers and locks progressively more diilicult.

Quite recently there has been a change whereby the push rods have been mounted in removable spiders, as illustrated in the patent to Horning, No. 1,604,412, granted October 26, 1926, the topy of the crank-case on either side of the spider being left open, and it has been usual to continue the upper edge of the opening down in a `flange to still Jfurther narrow the access opening or port which is normally closed by a cover plate,

so that when the springs with their retainer cups are raised they are practically entirely behind the outerw'all andthe locking means are adjacent the top edge of the opening and to the rear thereof, so that in theeusual multiple-cylinder engines access to said locking means is extremely diilicult.

ln a number of different engines ofthis type it is now usual to employ split conical v locking means normally pressed radially'inward toward each other by a cooperating conical face of the retainer to force and keep said locking means in a groove vor radially inward of an enlarged lower end of the valvestem, so that as the retainer is raised by the valve sprinfr lifter tool these locking devices, horseshoes or semi-circular cone members are freed for radial spreading-and usually drop out of place as the retainer is raised, sometimes falling on an inaccessible part of the push-rod spider or securing bolts for the latter, and sometimesfalling between the face of said spider and the opposed face of thefengine block orcrankecase down into the latter.

The present invention has been developed with'the above considerations in view to provide a compact shield which maybe used between the jaws of the usual valve spring litter and properly positioned between `the jaws of the latter while the latteris in proper operative position and prior to the operation of the latter to raise thevalve-spring retainer, and so formed that as the valve-spring retainer and valve-springare raised the locking means or horseshoesf mentioned, in fall-v ing, will fall into and be retained by said shield, 'and may be easily withdrawn with said shield, or picked oli of the same. V 'y lin this application we show and describe only the preterred'embodiment of our invention simply by way of illustration of the practice of our invention, as by law required. However, we recognize that our invention is capable of other and different embodiments, and that the various details thereof may be modified in a number of ways, all without departing from our said invention. Therefore, the drawings and description herein'are to be considered as merely illustrative and not as exclusive.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 represents a perspective View of a portion of an engine with the side plate removed, showing a shield embodying our invention` `as `applied in use between the jaws of a valve-spring lifter, the locking v.means having fallen from normal position into said Shield; .A

Figure 2, `a perspective view Yofthe shield of the present invention as arranged between the jaws of a valve-spring lifter preparatory house; ,1.

Figure 3, a top plan view of the shield; Figure 15, a sectional view fon line 4 4; of Fig, 3, looking in the direction of the arrows; Figure 55,' a sectional view on line 5-5 of Fig. 3, looking 'inthe direction of the arrows, and v )Figure 6, a sectional view on line 6-6 of Fig. 3, looking in the direction of the arrows. Referring now in vdetail to the drawings, designates the engine generally; B, the

., valve-stems of the usual poppet-valves (not shown) thereof, C, the usual valve-springs;

the valve-spring retainers, cups or washers', the split cone orsemi-circular composite cone-shape locking means normally received in the reduced portion LF of the valve stems B with their 'cone faces presented upwardly :and resting on the lower annular shoulder Gr of the valve-stem and normally so held by the i-cooperating'inner lower conical face lof the retainers, `or cups or washers D; H, the push-.rod spider; `J, the push-rods, and K, the adjustable push-rod heads; L, the lock-fnuts for the latter.

The '.parts specifically immediately above referred to are old and well known andare merely Ibriefly described las above to aidl in giving a clearer understanding of the present invention. M'designatesgeneralflya valve-spring :lifter with which nthepresent inventionis prefer ably used, [and said valvef'spri'ng `lifter may be `Iconstructed as illustrated in "accordance with our pending application Serial No. 331,- A773,fi1led January .11, 11929.

yThe shield of 7the present invention comprises 'two preferably thin sheet metal Vmem- 'bers 1 and A2 ,.pivotally connectedat their rear endportions'to swing toward and from 'each other in a horizontal plane. Such pivotal connection maybe by means` of a vertical rivet 3 extending through their loverlapping portions 4 and 5, and preferably the portion 4 of 'plate 2 'will be offset, as at '6, for substantially the thickness of portion i5 of plate 1 so 'as to li'e substantially flat against the stop'fofthe latter, with the lower faces of the rest offfsaid 'plates 'substantially in registry at all peints.

'.Rreferably some yielding :means for nor- .fmalely urging for .forcing Y(one of'said plates A1 Vface of the adjacent overlapping portion of one of said plates 1 and 2, and having legs 8 which cross each other and which are preferably ,formed with extreme end portions adapted to posi-tively engage or hoeken or into the respective plates 1 and 2, as by having 'their end portions bent over, as at 9, and

received in edge .notches 10 respectively in said plates 1 and 2.

y Each :said plate 1- and 2 has yan yoperating ear :11 extending from its rea-r portion to the rear of -Ysaid rivet 3, which serves .as a fulcrum point or pivot, said ears being disposed at the distant sides vof said plates land 2 and the material of said plates being cut away between said ears, so lthat ysaidears maybe pressedrtoward each other to cause said plates to-swing about rivet 3 away from each other.

Except for the oifset in plate 2, said plates 1 and 2 lare preferably v'duplica-tes in form, size and material.

vEach said pla-te 1 and 2 is 'formed with" a preferably abrupt outer edge flange 12 extending about its outer side and forward end portion :and having an inner face extending preferably abruptly with relation `to the top of its plate.

lSaid plates 1 and 2 yare provided with a semicircuflar notch 13 at arslight-distance from 'the liange 12, the said notches lof the 'said plates 1 :and 2 registering lengthwise of said plates to together `define `a substantially circular opening ofsuiiicient diameter to accommodate therein one of the push-rod adjustable lheads K when the plates 1 and 2 are closed about thesam'e; that is, when they have been applied thereto and have their opposed edges inconta'ct, or substantially in contact, lat substantially all points.

The opposed inner edgesV of the plates l 4and 'f2 .preferably including the Isemicircular notches 13 zare provided with abrupt flanges 14 similar to the flanges 12.

The opposed faces ofthe flanges 12 and 14 fof leach `plate 1 and 2 are to be spaced at all points ratsucli distance lfrom eachother as to certain-ly receive in the interval between them Ithe respective members lor elements of the locking means E as they :drop -out when the spring-retainer D fis raised so that there fwill be no chance ofoneof said-elements E falling lon the edges of ther-flanges and sliding-olf of the shield as the latter is removed.

.Preferably the plates .1 and 2 will be-down` wardly curved or inclined from front vto :rear from the rear ends of their outer flanges 12 to -their 'extreme' rear portions, such downward and rearwardcurve or incline .facilitating theiease of application of the shield in operative position, serving as a runway for deflecting the locking means E outward under the influence of gravity as they drop from position and strike the upper face of the shield and slide partially down the curve or inclined face thereof under the force of gravity to vbe most accessible, and also facilitates the ease of arrangement and disposition between the jaws of the valve-spring lifting tool. However, while such curved or inclined form is preferred, it is not essential to our invention, considered in its broader aspects.

The terms horizontal and vertical as used in the specification and the appended claims are used only in a relative sense and as applicable to the shield as used on a vertical cylinder engine. Obviously, if the shield be held in the hand at right angles to the position illustrated in Fig. l, the relation of the parts to each other would remain the same.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A shield com rising a plurality of plates, and means or pivotally connecting said plates to swing toward and from each other in a single plane, said plates having their opposed forward inner edge portions notched out in registry to together in closed position receive an object between them, and being provided at their front end portions with fianges extending abruptly upward from their respective upper faces and respectively about their inner and outer edges, and said 5; plates being bent downward rearwardly from a point adjacent the rear ends of said flanges, in combination with a spring coiled about said pivotal connecting means and engaging the respective plates in advance of said pivot- 4 al means to force said plates about said pivotal means to normal closed position, and ears extending from said plates to the rear of said pivotal connecting means.

2. A shield comprising a plurality of plates, and means for pivotally connecting said plates to swing toward and from each other in a single plane, said plates having theirV opposed forward inner edge portions notched out in registry to together in closed position receive an object between them, and

eing provided at their front end portions with flanges extending abruptly upward from their respective upper faces and respectively about their outer edges, in combination with a spring coiled about said pivotal connecting '1. plates to the rear of said pivotal connecting means.

3. A shield comprising two horizontally disposed plates having overlapping portions, and a rivet extending vertically through said overlapping portions, said plates having their opposed forward inner edge portions notched out in registry to together in closed position receive an object between them, and having their inner and outer marginal edges of their front portions raised above the normal upperV faces of the respective plates, in combination with yieldable means acting to force said plates to normal closedvposition, and operating ears extending from said plates. l

4. A shield comprising two plates, and means for pivotally connecting said plates to swing toward and from each other in a horizontal plane, said plates having their opposed forward inner edge portions notched out in registry to together in closed position receive an object between them, and being provided at their front end portions with marginal portions extending above the rest of the respective plates, in combination with resilient means for moving said plates about said pivotal means to normal closed position.

5. A shield comprising two plates, and means for pivotallyconnecting said plates to swing toward and from each other in a single plane, said plates having their opposed forward inner edge portions notched out in registry to together in closed position receive an object between them, and being provided at their front end portions with flanges extending abruptly upward from their respecf tive upper faces and respectively about their inner and outer edges, and said plates being bent downward rearwardly from a point adjacent the rear ends of said flanges.

6. A shield comprising two horizontal plates, and a vertical rivet passing through both of said plates for pivotally connecting them, said plates having their opposed forward inner edge portions notched out in registry to together in closed position receive an object between them, and being provided at their front end portions with flanges extending abruptly upward from their respective upper faces and respectively about their edges.

1n testimony whereof, we have signed our names Vto this specification at Lancaster', Pennsylvania, this 22nd day of November,

HARRY W. KULP. MARTIN C. DELLINGER. 

